Researcher Thom Rainer called the bi-vocational movement “a true revolution in the church.”¹ He estimates there are over one million bi-vocational pastors in North America alone, with that number consistently increasing since the start of the pandemic. According to a recent Lifeway research study, over 26% of pastors surveyed reported being bi-vocational with at least one job outside of the church.²

So, what does this mean? It means that bi-vocational pastors aren’t going anywhere and the way we care for and develop them will have a direct correlation to the successful impact of our ministries.

Being a bi-vocational minister is hard. It’s not for the faint of heart. So, what can we do as church leaders to support them? How can we give our bi-vocational ministers the resources and tools they need to be successful? 

The #1 thing we can do to support a bi-vocational pastor is give them a canvas.

I’ve heard it said that clarity is kindness, and the bi-vocational pastors on your team need even more clarity than a full-time pastor. Think about it: the bi-vocational pastor doesn’t have any time to waste! Their time is the most precious thing they have and it has to be split between their day job, the church, and their family. Hands down, the best thing you can do for a bi-vocational pastor is to give them the gift of clarity.

And one of the best ways to think about the gift of clarity is to picture an art canvas. 

To a non-artist, a blank canvas can be intimidating. But to an artist, a blank canvas provides a boundaried space full of possibilities! Upon this surface, defined by its four sides, artists have the freedom to create whatever they want. And nothing they create on the canvas can be labeled wrong. The confidence that comes from knowing “this is mine to paint” and to not have to worry about any other canvases allows for focus and attention to be directed rightly. 

The canvas you give your bi-vocational pastors works largely the same way. Each side of the canvas represents a different type of clarity bi-vocational pastors need. As they use these four lines to guide their work, they’ll experience freedom to pursue all sorts of possibilities and the confidence to live into the plans God has for them. Instead of frustrating bi-vocational pastors with choices about what they have time to accomplish and what they must ignore, a canvas of clarity allows them to operate freely in the sweet spot of the ministry they’re called to. Let’s take a look at this canvas:

Side #1: Clear Boundaries

The first side of the canvas represents clear boundaries. To say the bi-vocational pastor has a lot on their plate is a massive understatement. Without clear boundaries around family, rest, and vocational availability, what often gets sacrificed first is the pastor’s own health and family. When that happens, their ministry will always suffer.

The most effective ministry comes from the most healthy pastors with healthy families. These are exactly the things this side of the canvas protects. The first gift we want to give to a bi-vocational pastor is to give them clear boundaries around family, rest, and availability. Help them set clear time frames around when they will be available and when they will not. Help them find the limit to their availability, as well. Because they will have a limit and they need to know it’s okay to step back when they’ve hit it.

We also want to help them set boundaries around family. A pastor’s first ministry is always to their family. Help your bi-vocational ministers to identify where their family will always come first. What will take precedence when ministry and family compete? How often are they willing to miss family dinner? When is it okay to choose work or the church over their child’s birthday or an extracurricular event? Clarity around these items will help the bi-vocational pastor choose – in advance – who gets their time when there’s not enough to go around. As a bonus, their family will be more supportive and bought into the ministry because they’ll have an understanding of the boundaries, too, and the priority they are.

Finally, help your bi-vocational pastors set boundaries around rest. When will they sabbath? How will they protect the sabbath? How many weeks do they need to take off each year to stay healthy? What will they do when they start to feel burnout or exhaustion coming their way? Answering these questions will pay major dividends for the church and the pastor down the road.

Side #2: Clear Expectations

What are your expectations for the bi-vocational pastor in their role? The answers to this question are represented in the second side of the canvas. Do you have a clear job description with areas of oversight designated specificaly to them? How many hours, on average, do you expect them to be available each week? Are your expectations hours-based or task-based? Is there a cap you don’t want them exceeding or a “this must get done” list for each month? 

Finally, what results do you expect? If we don’t connect clear expectations to well-defined results, it becomes difficult for leaders to know if they are being effective or not. Identifying the key responsibilities a leader must accomplish to be successful provides thoughtful direction to both the minister and the ministry.

Side #3: Clear Plan for Work & Care

Even with clear boundaries and expectations, this isn’t all the bi-vocational pastor will need. They will also need your help to create a work plan that works for them. The first part of a clear work plan is a strategy for time management. Again, the bi-vocational pastor’s time is their most precious resource, so why not help them plan how to manage this limited resource? 

The second part of a clear work plan will be helping them outline weekly priorities. When they don’t have enough time to get everything done, what do you want them to focus on first?

Lastly, what’s the best rhythm to help hold the bi-vocational minister accountable and proactively get their feedback? This part of the plan ensures you, as their support, stay in the know and any problems that arise can be addressed as early as possible.

Side #4: Clear Path to the Future

Now we’ve made it to the final side of the ministry canvas: a clear path for the future. This part of the canvas is all about outlining hopes and dreams for the future. Is there a pathway for the pastor to eventually join the staff full-time or is this role best served by someone willing to invest part-time? Does the leader want to let go of their other job and solely focus, full time, on this work, or do they prefer being bi-vocational? If the pastor does desire to go full-time in the future and that is a viable option, when and how will it happen? By answering these questions together, the bi-vocational pastor and the church leadership get to paint the same picture and significantly decrease possible frustrations or issues from popping up later.

If you want to support the bi-vocational pastors in your congregation well, the best gift you can give them is a clear canvas for ministry. When you do, they will thank you. 

Let Jeff know if you would like to talk more about bi-vocational ministry. He’d love to hear from you and learn what sides of this canvas make the most sense, or what’s missing, and how you support the bi-vocational heroes in your community.

¹ https://churchanswers.com/blog/the-bi-vocational-revolution-most-churches-are-missing/

² HTTPS://lifewayresearch.com/2019/01/11/more-than-half-of-pastors-started-their-careers-outside-the-church/

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There may not be an “I” in team, but there are two in limit! You see, limiting your ministry impact is easy: just try to do everything yourself. A good leader is a great fit for a group of twelve, but those who want to impact fifties, hundreds, and thousands will need a team.

To reach fifty people you will need to build a team. To reach 100, you will need to develop your team. To reach 1,000, you will need to empower your team to do the ministry without you.

Last week was spring break, and a lot of our team was out. With so many missing, I was responsible for more than ever. So I spent most of the day putting out fires instead of building relationships. I was working in the trenches instead of directing traffic, and too busy with tasks to invest in people.

A limited team means limited impact, and the best way to limit your ministry is to do too much yourself. Last week was a limiting week, and it reminded me of three lies we buy into that limit our ministry impact. Let’s take a look at these lies and how to overcome them!

3 Lies that Limit a Pastor’s Impact

1) If I want it done right, I’ve got to do it myself. 

This is the lie that keeps us from building a team. When we buy into it, we believe no one else can do what we can do. We put the weight of the ministry on our shoulders. The problem is it’s a weight too heavy for one person to bear.

The truth is if you want it done right, you need a team. No one person, no matter how talented, can pour into more than ten or so people. A team of ten can impact fifty though. So if you want to reach more people, it’s time to build a team.

2) That’s something only I need to do. 

Lie number two is similar, but just as limiting. Believing lie number one keeps us from building a team, but lie number two keeps us from developing a team.  Pastors who believe this lie don’t try to do everything themselves, but keep the most important things to themselves. 

The more people our ministries reach, the more we will need to trust others to do. Just this week a mentor reminded me: If anyone around you can do anything you do 75% as well, then let them do it. If they can do it at 75%, I can develop the other 25%. Don’t get me wrong, there are always things you will need to do as the leader. However, the key to maximizing your impact is keeping that list as short as possible.

3) If they can do it without me, they don’t need me.

This lie keeps the best leaders from going to the next level because it keeps them from empowering their team. The leaders with the greatest impact spend their time empowering others to lead instead of doing the ministry themselves. Developing leaders is only half of the battle. Empowering them to do the ministry in your place and own it is next level leadership.

The most indispensable leaders are those who can build a team, develop them, and then empower them to do the ministry they used to do. When you empower others to take your place, it doesn’t make you less needed, but more! The pastor who will impact hundreds and thousands is the one whose ministry becomes empowering others to reach the tens and twenties.

If you want to limit your ministry impact, buy into these leadership lies. If you want to make an eternal impact, build a team, develop people, and empower them to do high level ministry.

Which lie do you struggle with most? What’s your next step?

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In fourteen years of ministry in the local church, I’ve heard one complaint from parishioners and staff above all others: “The church doesn’t communicate well.” One of my good friends in ministry calls this NETMA, which means “No one ever tells me anything!” The truth is, we could all get better at communication.

Communicating well is a prerequisite to leading well.
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In my experience, the greatest key to growth in communication with others is learning to listen. That’s right, listening. Not communicating more details or sending out more regular emails. Instead,

listening well to others is one of the quickest ways to better communication.
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“I know I need to listen better as a leader, but how do I do it?” I’m so glad you asked! The good news is that becoming a better listener is simple. The bad news is it’s not easy.

What makes it tough is that it goes against your nature.

Most church leaders I know are fairly confident and smart people. These are great gifts, but they don’t always lend themselves to being a great listener. Learning to listen well will require going against your instincts at times, but it will become more natural the more you do it. If you’re ready to take the plunge and develop your skills as a listening leader, use the following acrostic as your guide.

L – Let them talk.

I – Investigate for hidden wisdom.

S – Search for what they’re really saying.

T – Tell them what you heard.

E – Empathize.

N – Nod along.

Let Them Talk

The first step to listening well is to let people talk. Don’t just let them talk, but make every effort to let them finish before you jump in. Nothing says “I’m not listening” like interrupting someone.

Keep in mind the word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.
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Investigate for Hidden Wisdom

Great listeners know they can learn from anybody and everybody. This step is all about embracing that truth. Investigate for what they know that you don’t and keep listening until you learn something new.

If you haven’t learned something from them, you haven’t listened well enough yet.
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Search for What They’re Really Saying

Watch their body language and look for places where they are hesitant or seem to be choosing their words carefully. Ask the question to yourself throughout the conversation, “What are you not saying?” This can be one of the most difficult parts to pick up on, but there is almost always something important to be found in what a person is not saying.

Most people will share 90% of what they are thinking. A select few will say 95%, and almost no one will say 100%. Great listeners are always searching for the last five percent.

Tell Them What You Heard

A great way to show you have been listening is to let the person finish and then tell them what you heard them say. This lets them know you have been listening to understand instead of listening to respond. It also provides clarity and ensures everyone is on the same page.

If you’ve misunderstood something or heard it wrong (we’ve all been there,) they have an opportunity to fix the misunderstanding before it becomes a full-blown miscommunication issue.

Empathize

Empathy is less about feeling sorry for the other person and more about feeling what they feel with them. As you listen, do your best to put yourself in their shoes. This works well when used alongside of telling them what you heard them say.

For example: “So what I’m hearing you say is that moving houses has really stressed you out and is affecting your work. I can’t imagine how you feel, but I know that would cause me some anxiety, too.” It’s simple, but it lets them know you care about them and you’re not a robot.

Nod Along

Studies show that up to 93% of communication is nonverbal, and 55% is your body language and physical cues. With that in mind, an easy physical cue to show you’re engaged and listening is to nod your head along as the other person speaks. While they are talking, lean forward, make eye contact, and nod your head from time to time. This is a simple body language adjustment that will show them you are fully engaged in the conversation. It may be a little thing, but it will go a long way!

So, if you’re ready to improve communication at your church and in your leadership, it’s time to learn to listen.  From listening to individuals and staff to listening to the church body in meetings and surveys, listening well is a communication strategy that will always pay off. Use the six skills above to listen and lead like never before. When you do, everyone around you will notice.

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Youth Ministry is tough, and can often be really lonely. As youth leaders, we face challenges that are unique and different. It’s all too easy to feel alone and powerless, and that’s exactly where the enemy wants you to be. I’ve been serving in youth ministry for over 13 years now, and I can’t tell you the amount of times that I’ve sat in my car after an event and asked the question “What am I doing?”

It’s easy to wonder if you’re really making a difference after a middle school lock in. The weeks after youth camp are prime time for a season of depression to set in, and we all know that conversations with angry parents can drain the joy right out of you.

So what do you do to stay in youth ministry and stay healthy for the long haul? I believe the key is to have the right types of people around you. From my experience, there are five types of people that every youth leaders needs to have around them. When you have these people in your inner circle, the tough times of youth ministry are just speed bumps.

When these people are missing, tough times can easily become multi-car pile-ups that either damage or kill your ministry. Simply put, every youth leader needs these people around them if they want to have a healthy ministry that impacts the next generation. So let’s take a look at the five types of people you need around you and how they can help take your leadership next level.

1) PEOPLE WHO PRAY WITH YOU

Every youth leader needs people around them who will pray with them. Without people who pray for you and with you regularly, you don’t stand a chance. Ministry will get tough. That’s a given. The difference in youth leaders who make it and the ones that don’t is often prayer.

Who is standing in the gap for you spiritually? Who do you have around you who intercedes for you on a daily basis? Who in your inner circle is lifting you up in prayer when you feel beaten down and unqualified? People who pray with you are essential to leading well, so who’s praying for you today?

2) PEOPLE WHO PUSH YOU

Great leaders need people to push them. Every great leader I’ve met has someone behind them who is pushing them to greatness. This is a person who reminds you that you CAN when you buy into the lie that you can’t. This is a person who believes in you and loves you too much to let you get by with less than what you are capable of. It’s the type of person I think the author of Hebrews had in mind when they wrote that we should “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

The truth is we won’t always like these people when they push us, but they love us too much to let that stop them. Who is walking with you and for you that pushes you toward your best? Who in your inner circle calls out the greatness inside of you? We all need people to push us as leaders, so who is pushing you?

3) PEOPLE WHO PRAISE YOU

The fact that the people who push us can push so hard is one of the reasons we need people to praise us. If you’re like me, this one may feel a little awkward. I don’t like to talk about people praising me. It feels almost prideful. However, I know that I desperately need people to encourage me. This is the praise I’m talking about. My top love language is words of encouragement, so this is huge for me. The truth is it’s huge for all youth leaders!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul writes: “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” We need people to encourage us. It’s part of God’s design! I think those of us in youth ministry need a little more of it than other people! Dealing with angry parents is just part of youth ministry, but it can really tear you down. Students will often say hurtful things without thinking. Other volunteers and leaders can get extremely critical at times. All of these things tear us down, so we need to people to encourage us by giving us praise when everyone else tears us down.

Who is in your corner and always encourages you? Who affirms you when you’re down? Who always has a way of making you feel a little better when they walk into the room? Every youth leader needs someone in their life to praise them.

4) PEOPLE WHO PARTNER WITH YOU

No matter how talented you are, you can’t do ministry alone. Leaders who try don’t stay in ministry very long. Either that or their ministry never grows. The larger youth ministry gets and the more students you reach, the more people you will need to partner with you.

These are practical people who will roll up their sleeves and work with you. They don’t have to be asked to do something because they see what is needed before you ask and jump in to help. They are your co laborers.

We all need people to partner with us. Heck, even Paul knew this. Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament and is the father of church planting, yet he almost always traveled and ministered with partners! Think about people like Timothy, Titus, Barnabas, John Mark, Priscilla and Aquila, and Luke. Paul knew that he needed partners in ministry to finish strong, and we do to. Who are the people in your life and ministry who partner with you?

5) PEOPLE WHO PROP YOU UP 

Last of all, every youth leader needs people to prop them up. This is more than encouragement. These people are rocks in your life and ministry. When life feels like it’s falling apart and you don’t think you can go any farther, these are the people who are present and prop you up. When you can’t stand on your own they hold you up.

These people are with you no matter what, and at some point, we will all need someone to prop us up. Who are these people in your life? When you face trouble and heartache, who is right there with you to lend support?

Who are the people filling these roles in your life? Are one of these people missing from your inner circle? If so, begin to pray and ask God to show you the right people. Perhaps nothing will make a greater difference in you ministry than the people you choose to do ministry alongside of.

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In all reality, my friends and colleagues in ministry are some of the busiest and most exhausted people I know. How did we get here? Better yet, how do we get back to a rhythm of Sabbath and living a life to the full? The answers to these questions are not difficult to understand, but they are difficult to live out.

I struggle with Sabbath as much as anyone. I like to work and be productive. As an achiever at heart, stopping and resting are not things I do particularly well. However, like many of you I’m ready to get off the hamster wheel of business and anxiety. I’m still learning, but below you will find four ingredients that I’ve found necessary to sabbath-ing well. If you’re tired of the crazy pace and looking for a reprieve (or just know you need one), keep reading.

To explore the ingredients necessary for the making of a healthy Sabbath, we will be using the acrostic REST.  Let’s take a look at each ingredient and some examples of how this might look in your life.

Replenish

Enjoy

Stop

Trust

1. REPLENISH

The first ingredient to healthy Sabbath is taking the time to replenish. Ministry is tough. Leading people can be difficult. Managing conflict is never fun. And all the work we do seems to run in an endless cycle of Sunday’s and Wednesday’s. Perhaps the greatest reason ministry is tough though is that ministry is all about pouring out.

Ministering to the people God has entrusted to us requires the pouring out of ourselves emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically. Here’s the problem though, if we always pour out into others and never take the time to fill back up, we are headed for empty. One the other side of empty you’ll find burnout and depression. Too many of us are running on or dangerously close to empty.

That’s why the first ingredient to a healthy Sabbath is to replenish and refill your cup. What are the things that replenish and refill you emotionally, spiritually, and physically? Begin by making a list of these things, and then do what it takes to make them a part of your Sabbath rhythm.

For me, replenishing takes on some of the following looks. Sleeping in replenishes me physically. Hitting the gym or reading a book helps me to replenish emotionally. Spiritual replenishment comes through reading scripture, taking times of solitude, or watching a sermon that someone else prepared for.

So what about you? What things replenish spiritually, emotionally, and physically? Make a list, and then make them a part of your Sabbath.

2. ENJOY

The second ingredient to a healthy Sabbath is enjoying yourself. While the items on this list may overlap at times with the things that replenish you, this is not always the case. Things that you enjoy will make you happy and energize you, but can also require an expenditure of emotional or physical energy. These things may not look like rest traditionally, but they help tend to the health of your soul.

For some this comes easy, while others may find it more difficult. Often times, I find that pastors and church leaders struggle to find and keep healthy hobbies. Why? I believe many of us feel almost guilty for stopping and enjoying ourselves when there is so much Kingdom work to be done. However, if we don’t learn to stop and enjoy ourselves, we will become far less effective for the Kingdom in the long run.

It’s vital to find the right things to put on your Sabbath enjoyment list. If your struggling, here are a few of mine: golfing, kayaking, watching movies, amusement parks, and spending a day with my family. Some of these can leave me physically or mentally tired, but they definitely fill my cup and energize my soul.

So what about you? What energizes you and should be on your Sabbath enjoyment list? Take some time to think about this and write them down. Learning to enjoy yourself is a vital part of a healthy Sabbath.

3. STOP

This one is simple in theory and excruciating in practice. I don’t believe taking a Sabbath means being legalistic about doing nothing. However, I do believe it requires us to stop doing the things we regularly do for work and ministry. What good does it do you to replenish yourself with rest and a day of things you enjoy if you check your email and respond to texts regarding ministry all day?

To be fully transparent, this is the most difficult part for me. Unplugging completely and ceasing to do the work of ministry is a struggle. But if I don’t learn to stop the work of ministry, I’ll never be able to experience rest.

So what does it mean to stop? Simply put, on your Sabbath you cease doing all things that are a part of your daily ministry. Stop checking email, returning phone calls, writing sermons, and thinking about the ministry problem you just can’t seem to solve. This may sound crazy, but I promise all of those things will still be there tomorrow.

If you’re like me though, you may want to attempt to Sabbath while keeping your toes in the water of ministry. The problem is that’s incompatible with Sabbath. Why? When we can’t stop the work of ministry, it’s because we can’t trust God to get it done without us. Which brings us to the last ingredient.

4. TRUST

If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely you love God deeply and want others to experience His love. You were called to give your life to ministry, and you love helping people. These are great and Godly things that only the Holy Spirit can write into you story. However, be careful that you don’t pursue your calling to the point of forgetting your faith.

Faith is where it started. We put our faith in God’s love and the gift of His Son, and we’ve never been the same. The same faith that made us come alive though is the same faith we need to sustain us. God didn’t call us to trust him only at salvation, but throughout our days. And it is this faith, this trust, that is at the heart of true Sabbath.

If God is strong enough to save us and create the universe, then He’s strong enough to continue His work without us for a day. If He is wise enough to lead us daily, then He is wise enough to keep leading while we take a day off. When we stop, replenish, and enjoy ourselves one day a week, it actually builds our faith and honors God!

On the flip side, when we can’t take a day off and practice the art of Sabbath it is because we don’t fully trust Him. Our inability to Sabbath is at its heart a trust issue. Nothing more and nothing less.

If you’ve read this article with a desire to Sabbath but an internal doubt that you can, please let me encourage you. You can Sabbath well, because you can trust God. When you take the time to Sabbath, He will come through for you again like He has so many times before.

So what are you waiting for? Will you be willing to take the step of faith to insert a healthy Sabbath rhythm in to your life and ministry? I pray the answer is “yes.” As you take the Sabbath ingredients of replenishment, enjoyment, stopping, and trust, I pray God fills your sails with new wind and new life. Amen.

The post Four Ingredients to a Healthy Sabbath appeared first on Ministry Architects.

I’ve seen youth ministries grow and others implode. I recently saw a youth ministry go from 85 to under 15 in six months! So what happened? The youth leader did these five things that break youth ministries.

5 Steps to Breaking Your Youth Ministry in 90 Days or Less

1) Change everything.

Students, like most humans, aren’t big fans of change. For one reason or another though, many young leaders take over a ministry and immediately change everything.

It’s almost like these leaders think any idea of their predecessor was a bad idea. They change the room and environment. They change meeting times. They change the mission and strategy. Then, when students struggle and stop coming, they wonder why.

Think about it with me. When do youth workers generally make the most changes? It’s usually after a transition between youth workers.

One pastor or volunteer leaves and another takes their place. The new leader wants to hit the ground running and put their stamp on the ministry, but the students are still hurting. They’re still processing the loss of a trusted adult.

When students are struggling like this, they don’t need a lot of change and new ideas. What they need is a leader who will listen to them, love them, and walk through the process with them.

Want to break your youth ministry in 90 days? Change everything.

2) Focus on response instead of relationships

Another way to tank your ministry is to focus on response instead of relationships. Here’s what I mean. Your focus begins to shift to how many students are coming and tracking numbers. You’re concerned about students having fun and if they posted on social media about your sermon. This will always lead you backwards.

When we focus on response over relationships, students pick up on it. They feel manipulated instead of motivated. The emphasis on response makes them feel devalued, and then they respond even less.

Students engage in youth ministry for relationships. Relationships with each other, adults who care, and with God. When we focus on response instead of relationships, it’s like hanging  an exit sign over the door.

The funny thing is, response comes naturally when we focus on relationships. By focusing on relationships first, students feel loved and valued. These are catalysts for growth. It’s through the relationships students build that we see response in the way they live.

Focusing of response over relationships is a great way to break your ministry. Relationships should always be the priority!

3) Lead as the Lone Ranger.

“Who needs help? Not me, I’m a stud.” These are the words of a soon to be unemployed youth pastor. Want to break your youth ministry in under 90 days? Do everything on your own.

Have you ever heard this phrase? “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Odds are you have, and the odds are even greater it came from a poor leader. Good leaders know that doing everything yourself is the death nail of growth.

Great youth ministries have great teams! They have teams of people who work together to accomplish more than any one individual. Many struggling and declining youth ministries, however, are led by extremely talented youth workers. The problem is their talent keeps them from trusting a team!

If you want to shrink your youth ministry and impact, lead like the lone ranger. It’s a quick and guaranteed way to break your ministry and make students disappear!

4) Pursue ministry more than Jesus.

This one is simple, and we all know it’s dangerous, but we all have a tendency to do it anyway. Youth ministries grow because of Jesus. Period. Jesus is the reason we do ministry and is who we desire for our students to pursue!

However, the monster of ministry looms large and can tend to take over. The day to day expectations and ministry grind can distract us from the only thing that matters. Jesus.

Perhaps the easiest way to derail a youth ministry is to pursue ministry more than Jesus. I know this is a real danger because I’ve been here before. At one point, I realized I was doing ministry for Jesus and not with Jesus.

Jesus has to be our pursuit more than anything else. Students don’t need a perfect youth ministry or a hip youth pastor. They need a leader who loves them and loves Jesus.

The best way to impact your students is to pursue Jesus in front of them.

5) Over celebrate yesterday’s success.

“The greatest enemy of tomorrow’s success is today’s success.” -Peter Drucker

A simple recipe for a declining youth ministry focusing on what God did yesterday instead of what He’s doing today. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating! Celebrating what God has done is a good thing. Just don’t let the celebration get in the way of what God is calling you to today.

Many youth workers experience decline because of over celebrating yesterday’s successes. If your best stories are from years ago, you’ve become the victim of yesterday’s success. Good youth workers are leaders who can celebrate what God has done with one eye on the future.

Youth ministry doesn’t stop while we celebrate. Don’t take your eyes off the present to stare at the past! Thank God for what He’s done and celebrate the past, but do so with the belief that the best work is still to come.

Odds are you want your ministry to grow. You want to reach as many students as possible. To get there, avoid these five pitfalls, pursue Jesus, and love students well.

The post How to Break a Youth Ministry in 90 Days or Less appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Most things are better when they are in rhythm. This is true for music and dancing, and it’s just as true for life and youth ministry! You see, the truth is that everything in life has a rhythm, and finding the right rhythm is a requirement for success and satisfaction.

When your ministry is in rhythm, everything seems to work right. It sounds good, looks good, and feels good! On the other hand, ministry looks and feels more like a train wreck when it’s out of rhythm.

When it comes to effective ministry, rhythm matters. Every successful ministry has it, and those that sustain success over time are the ministries that have kept it. Finding the right rhythm is key to success and fulfillment in your ministry.

A ministry that lacks rhythm will feel forced and mechanical, while a ministry that’s out of rhythm will just feel a little off. However, a ministry that has found a healthy rhythm will feel just right! Doing ministry in the right rhythm is like living in a ministry goldilocks zone, and it feels a lot like how we imagined it when God first called us to it.

In over a decade of youth ministry, I’ve experienced both the pain of being out of rhythm and the exhilaration of doing ministry with it. Finding a healthy rhythm changed everything for me, even though it feels like a real life game of red light, green light. I’ve found three beats to a successful ministry rhythm for myself that I want to share with you, and my prayer is that they will help you find rhythm in your context as well.

Beat #1: GREEN LIGHT

Run hard and fast after goals. This is the part of the ministry rhythm where we are relentless about going after our goals and God given dreams. There is a time to lead under a green light and go fast, and this is it!

I’ve found that talking about goals in ministry makes some leaders uncomfortable because it feels too much like business. This shouldn’t be the case though. Goals are simply dreams with plans and deadlines attached. God is the dream giver and has given us all dreams in our hearts. Great leaders know there is a time to go ambitiously after these goals.

That’s exactly what this beat of the rhythm is: a time to go fast and and hard after your dreams and desires for your ministry. The green light beat of the ministry rhythm is all about a furious pursuit of the what. What is God calling you to do? What dreams has He placed in your heart to run hard after.

Beat #2: YELLOW LIGHT

Walk slowly through the crowd. This is the part of the ministry rhythm where we slow down from the hustle to focus on the people. It’s a time to shift our focus from what we are doing to who we are serving.

It’s all too easy to get busy doing ministry for God and forget the people we are ministering to. The yellow light beat is all about taking time to slow down and be intentional about the who. This is the beat of the rhythm that resets our focus on people. How much time are spending walking slowly through the crowd?

Beat #3: RED LIGHT

Rest religiously. This is the part of the ministry rhythm where we stop. It’s where we rest. It’s where we sabbath. This is vital, because if we don’t take the time to stop, ministry will eventually stop us! Ministry workers and pastors who skip this beat will end up being spit out and burnt out by the ministry machine.

Whether it’s your day off, regular vacations, sabbaticals, or an off site work day to focus, it’s important to fight for these times to stop and rest! This is the hardest part of the ministry rhythm for me. I love to go and struggle to stop and rest! The problem is that sustained success can only come with regular periods of rest.

We are at our best and most creative in ministry when we take time to intentionally slow down and rest. This beat is all about charging your ministry battery. What about you? Are you making time to rest and recharge?

Finding the right rhythm is key to effective ministry. My rhythm is to run hard after goals, walk slowly through the crowd, and rest religiously. What’s your best rhythm?

The post RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT: FINDING THE RHYTHM OF EFFECTIVE MINISTRY appeared first on Ministry Architects.

I learned a powerful youth ministry lesson from watching other youth ministries. As I’ve traveled and met youth pastors across the country, their ministries have all been different. Some are healthier and have better results than others though.

So here is the question I began asking a few years ago: What makes the best youth ministries the best? It’s not the size of the crowd or their budgets. It’s not the talent and ability of their youth pastors. I’ve found the single greatest measure of success to be what type of ministry you have: for students or by students.

Here’s what I’ve found separates and defines these two types of youth ministries.

Youth Ministries FOR Students:

1) Teach Students

Ministries for students teach. They usually teach really well and are incredibly creative. Students from these youth ministries know a lot of truth about following Jesus.

2) Entertain Students

Ministries for students usually place a high value on entertainment. These ministries work tirelessly to have the best environments and to make sure students have fun. Students show up because they know they will have a good time at youth group.

3) Minister to Students

Youth ministries for students are great at ministering to students. To minister is defined as attending to someone’s needs or providing something helpful. Most youth ministries do this well. They love on students, teach them important truth, and help them navigate through life.

None of this is bad. These are all great things that most youth ministries by students will do in some way as well. A by students ministry doesn’t value these things less, they simply value more than this.

Youth Ministries BY Students

1) Disciple Students

Ministries by students don’t just teach, they make disciples. A disciple is a person who accepts and helps spread the teaching of another. These ministries don’t just teach students about Jesus. They enlist them to do ministry and give them opportunities to serve in meaningful ways.

2) Engage Students

To engage someone is to involve them in the process and let them participate in it. Youth ministries by students aren’t content to simply entertain. They value involving students in the process of ministry and invite them to participate in it. Entertain students and they will eventually get bored. Engage them and they will get involved!

3) Minister with Students

Ministries by students realize the best way to minister to students is with students. Youth workers can only minister to 6-8 students well before people start falling through the cracks. Your ministry’s potential has no limit when students take on the mantle of ministry.

We can choose to minister to students or to minister with them. The last time I checked an army marches shoulder to shoulder, and so does a thriving student ministry.

In my experience, ministries for students and ministries by students will get different results as well.

Youth Ministries FOR Students

1) Have attenders

2) Are driven by adults.

3) Graduate students from church.

Youth Ministries BY Students

1) Have bringers.

2) Are driven by students.

3) Graduate students into ministry.

To be candid, this is an area I struggle with. Building a ministry of students doesn’t come as natural to me as ministering to students. I had to get intentional about leading ministry this way, but it’s definitely worth it!

I’ve led multiple ministries to students. However, my ministry impact multiplied exponentially when I began to lead a ministry by students. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the investment.

There are a lot of benefits that come with a ministry by students. Leadership development and passing the baton of church growth are just a couple. However, leading a ministry by students isn’t about leadership development or church growth. It’s about advancing the Kingdom!

The kingdom of God will advance most powerfully through God’s people. Pastors won’t reach the most people, parishioners will! Our role as youth pastors is to equip those we lead to do the work God is calling them to. I believe we advance the Kingdom best when we empower students to do ministry.

What would happen if youth leaders embraced the role of coaches? You see, coaches lead from the sideline and win through their players. I believe it’s time we learn to lead from the sideline and not the field. It’s time to let the players play the game, their potential to win is greater than ours anyway.

So where do you stand? Are you leading a ministry of students or for students? How can you empower students to do ministry?

The post The Youth Ministry Separator: What Makes the Best Youth Ministries Best? appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Perhaps there is nothing more inevitable in youth ministry. It will happen. No matter what you do, how hard you try, or how good of a job you do, it will happen. It’s an eventuality and inevitability: parents will get angry and you will have to deal with it. Even though it’s something we all face, it’s also one of the more difficult parts of the job. Handle it the wrong way and you won’t be handling it much more. Furthermore, if you don’t handle it well it can steal your influence and steal your ministry. Learning how to deal with angry parents is a must for youth workers who want to lead next level!

Unfortunately, I’ve had to deal with more than my share of angry parents over the years. The good news is that out of these experiences I have learned 5 steps to take to defuse the situation. Just last week we held an all night event off campus. As you probably guessed, that meant dealing with some angry parents!

The good news was I had a process to handle it. It’s a tried and true process that has proven me well over 12 years of ministry, and I want to share it with you. So here are five steps to take when dealing with angry parents.

1) Recognize

The first step in dealing with angry parents is to recognize what went wrong. It’s important to verbally recognize what went wrong to the parent.  The truth is they already know what went wrong. They may not know the why, but they know the problem.

In the case I mentioned above, it was clear part of our group arrived late. At this point, it didn’t matter why we were late, it just mattered that we were. The most constructive thing I could do was recognize what went wrong and own it. This step alone makes a huge difference in dealing with angry and frustrated parents. Once they know you recognize mistakes were made and that you see what they see, it usually calms them down.

“When dealing with angry parents, it’s important to see what they see.”

2) Apologize

The next step is to apologize. What do you mean? What if it wasn’t my fault? What if there was nothing I could have done differently? I hear this from youth workers all too often. No one likes to admit when they’re wrong, and it’s hard to apologize when you feel like you haven’t messed up. That’s not the point though.

The point is we can ALWAYS apologize for something. A good rule of thumb for me is to apologize for whatever I can. My pride doesn’t like it, but it makes a huge difference in dealing with upset parents. I apologized for getting students home late. I apologized for not communicating better, even though I don’t know that I could have made it any better. I wished I could have, so I apologized for what I could.

Don’t let you pride get in the way of salvaging the situation. Apologize for what you can and move on. It may not feel great, but it will help a great deal.

“When dealing with angry parents, apologize for what you can.”

3) Empathize

The third step in dealing with angry parents is to empathize. Try to feel what they’re feeling. Instead of bowing up and taking the emotional arrows personally, feel what they’re feeling.

I’m convinced that no other step in this process makes as great of an impact. It’s the most important step you can take. It’s also the most unnatural for me. I’m not a real emotional or empathetic guy. I generally feel for people more than feeling with them, and I hate to be wrong. The competitive and prideful spirit in me fights this step, but I lean into God’s Spirit as hard as I can here. Why? Because this step is vital to successfully dealing with angry parents.

Feel what they feel and apologize again if necessary. Let them know you understand the situation is frustrating, inconvenient, or difficult. Put yourself in their shoes and let them know you feel with them. Show them your heart for them as a parent. Nothing makes a bigger difference in these situations.

“When dealing with angry parents, try to feel what they feel.”

4) Reorganize

Now it’s time to reorganize the conversation. Call back what you’ve heard them say, what you recognize happened to cause it, and how it made them feel. Then, tell them what steps you’ll take for a better outcome next time. Reorganizing the conversation lets the parent know you’ve heard them, understand them, and you want to do something about it.

It’s difficult for most people to stay mad when they feel like these things have happened. Often, I find angry parents just want vent, and this let’s them know you’ve heard and care.

“When dealing with angry parents, let them know they’ve been heard.”

5) Energize

At this point, thank them for their patience, understanding, honesty, support, etc. Thank them for whatever you can, even if it’s more what you hope to receive. Then, let them know you hope they have a great day, and pray for them if you can. It may sound silly, but this has a way or reframing the whole conversation and ending it on a bright and hopeful note.

The previous steps diffuse the situation, but this step helps turn it. They came to you upset, you want them to leave hopeful. In essence, it’s all about letting them know you care. And nothing turns a conversation like knowing the person on the other side cares.

While the other steps diffuse problems, this step wins fans. Some of the best parent supporters I’ve had came after critical conversations like this. This step will help take your ministry to parents to the next level!

“When dealing with angry parents, thank them and let them know you care.”

One final note, always remember to stay gentle and even. A gentle answer turns away wrath. You can’t be a leader if you can’t keep your cool. I hope this process helps turn your next conversation with an angry parent into an incredible win!

The post How to Deal With Angry Parents appeared first on Ministry Architects.

If you have interns but don’t have a strong program, then one of a few things will happen. For starters, you may not have interns in the future. Word will travel about the quality of your program. The fastest way to make sure you won’t have an internship program in the future is to have a poor one now. If you continue to have interns, you’ll probably attract less than stellar individuals. So if the key to having great interns is to have a great program, how in the world do you put a great program together?

I’ve had interns on and off for years now. I’ve had programs in vastly different sized churches and cultures. Through my experience with interns (both good and bad) I’ve come up with five keys to a solid intern program, and I want to share them with you. Having interns and developing them well is not just good for you and your church, it’s good for the big “C” Church. It’s a place to raise up the next generation of youth workers, youth pastors, and church staff. It’s precisely because of this that we owe it to ourselves, our churches, and our students to do it well. So here are five keys I’ve found to having a great intern program.

5 Keys to a Great Intern Program

#1: Use applications and interviews.

This may seem simple, but it’s an absolute game changer in my opinion. If you want to have a great intern program, start by putting together a great application process. Our application gets the applicant’s information and includes a page of leadership questions. It also requires two written references from adults. After completing the application, potential interns go through a series of two interviews. I try to make these interviews happen with two different people. Our interns currently interview first with our pastor of leadership and development. If they get his recommendation, then they interview with me. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it.

So why do we make it such a process? Well, it’s because I believe it separates those who are serious and those who aren’t. If they’re not willing to go through the process & paperwork, they won’t be ready for the internship. A good application and interview process will help get the right people for your program.

#2: Have a plan.

This step is possibly the most overlooked by most youth pastors. You get a few interns. They turn out to be good and talented people, but you don’t know what to do with them. You are busy and don’t have time to teach them a lot, so they end up doing busy work the entire summer. Does this sound familiar? It does to me. I’ve seen it time and time again with youth pastors, and it used to be my story.

If you don’t have a plan for how to use your interns, they’ll end up frustrated, under used, and devalued. This could be the most important part of the process. So before you start an intern program, come up with a clear written plan for how you will use them. Doing this right will take more of your time, so make sure you have a plan to set aside time to spend with them as well. When it comes to internships, remember this: if you have a good plan, they will have a good experience!

#3: Be intentional about development.

The primary goal of an intern program should not be getting work out of people, but developing them. Developing people won’t happen by accident though, it has to be intentional. Part of your plan for interns should be how you will develop them as people and leaders. There are a variety of ways to go about this, but the key is intentionality. I develop interns in four ways: one on one meetings; small group book studies, leadership classes, and hands on projects.

I meet with each intern for personal development at least once every other week. These meetings generally last 30 minutes and focus more on their development than performance. All our summer interns meet once a week with another leader for an intern small group. During this time they walk through a leadership book together. We also hold hour long leadership classes every few weeks. These are led by different staff members at the church. The final way we develop interns is through the assignment of a ministry project. Each intern is assigned a project based on their skill set, gifting, and personality. These projects are designed to stretch them and help them grow throughout the summer.

Regardless of how you go about developing interns, the important thing is that you do it. If you do this well, they will have a greater impact on your youth ministry. More than that, developing them well will set them up for a better future in ministry. You’ll know you’re doing a good job when your interns leave as better leaders than when they started. The key to developing interns is this: want more FOR them than you want FROM them!

#4: Limit them to a manageable number.

I found this one out the hard way. The easiest way to jack up an intern program is to take too many of them! My suggestion is to decide up front on a manageable number of interns and keep it below that number. The number may vary for each youth pastor, but in my experience it’s usually 5-6 interns. When you bring on more people than this, it gets hard to give them the time and attention they need. It also gets hard to give them enough assignments to keep everyone busy. This isn’t always a hard and fast rule, but 5 is my general recommendation for youth pastors. The key is to keep the number low enough so that you can manage and develop them well. It’s not about getting extra help from them, it’s about helping them grow and get better.


#5: Set clear expectations.

In leadership, clarity is kindness. There are few things I hate worse than having fuzzy expectations. Most of us desire clarity from our leaders, and interns are no different. The best way to help your interns succeed is to be crystal clear about what you expect of them. Be clear about when they should be there, how long they should work, and what they should be doing. Take the guess work out of it and they will perform better and feel valued. A lack of clarity will result in wasted time and frustration for everyone involved. Clarity is kindness, so set clear expectations from the beginning. Your interns will thank you for it, and so will your future self!

Do you have interns? Are you interested in starting an intern program in the future? We would love to hear your comments and questions . Also, let us know if you have something to add that will help take an intern program to the next level at jeff.cochran@ministryarchitects.com.

The post How to Start a Great Summer Intern Program appeared first on Ministry Architects.